Drawing a Connection
by Shadowstalk
Summary: Ohgi senses something of himself in Zero. Introspective piece. Set post-R2, so beware spoilers.


Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. I do not make any kind of profit off this story.

A/N: Set directly after Turn 25 of R2. Beware spoilers. Short, introspective piece. No real plot involved.

Originally written in June of 2009. Largely unchanged.

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Drawing a Connection

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"I never thought I'd end up as the Prime Minister of Japan."

Zero looked at the newly-appointed official, quietly scrutinizing the man Lelouch had chosen to be his second-in-command. Ohgi Kaname. He looked uncomfortable, constantly shifting on his feet and looking over his shoulder. His wardrobe consisted of a formal, black dress suit befitting of his new station; in the public eye, he had to look professional. Despite the fact that the cameras were off, they were still visiting under official diplomatic circumstances. The situation called for appropriate attire. Behind the mask, the supposedly-dead teenage knight raised an eyebrow. Was the man always this nervous, or was he only reacting like this to the presence of the new Zero?

The Black Knights had served their purpose throughout the course of the war, and now it was peacetime; it was only fitting that the deputy commander earned a high position in the new world order. Zero grimaced, though it was unseen due to the helmet covering his face. If he'd only accepted Zero's—the original's—offer to join the Black Knights, then he was sure Lelouch would have made _him_ his right-hand man. As fate would have it, he'd only joined Lelouch after the prince had severed ties with the Japanese resistance group. Not once during the long war had Kururugi Suzaku and Ohgi Kaname fought on the same side.

Now, Ohgi had taken up Suzaku's late father's position as Prime Minister. With the familiar pang of guilt, the secretly-alive teen silently hoped Ohgi's reign of power would end more fortunately than the last official's. Zero didn't speak, but Ohgi settled in comfortably beside him, making himself at home in the imperial gardens. The sweet fragrance of flowers in bloom wafted over them; the sound of bubbling water gurgled from a nearby fountain. Though the garden was peaceful, the bench where the two men sat was tense with anticipation. The awkward silence carried on for at least ten minutes. Zero didn't know what to say; _he_ hadn't sought out this conversation.

Finally, the older Japanese man gathered the courage to speak. "When this all started," Ohgi began, hesitantly running a hand through his now somewhat tamed hair, "I was just doing this to carry on my best friend's dream. I used to be a schoolteacher; I always just imagined that, if peace ever came to Japan, I'd just pick up where I left off. But there's too much for me to do now, and I can't burden someone else with the responsibility of rebuilding Japan. I have to see Naoto's dream through to the end."

Zero froze. The situation that Ohgi described sounded achingly familiar. Turning his masked face fully in the other's direction, he wordlessly gestured for him to continue.

Ohgi chuckled, though it sounded a bit forced and awkward. "He wanted peace, you see. He ended up dying in his quest to achieve it; as his best friend, it was my duty to finish what he'd started. I believed in him."

Zero nodded, and his heart beat erratically in his chest. It was too soon to be thinking about this; at the same time, he'd never be able to forget Lelouch and all he'd done. The sting of tears pricked at his eyes, but he stubbornly refused to let them fall; he'd shed enough tears for his best friend lately. Lelouch was gone. He was never coming back. Today was for the living, the ones left behind. Such as Nunnally, himself, and this man Ohgi—this man who seemed to be of a similar type to himself, even (from what he'd heard) down to the betrayals. Zero waved his hand for more, but didn't utter a word.

Heeding the unspoken command, the new Prime Minister continued, "There was also the matter of his little sister. Naoto loved her more than anything, and I was pretty close to her as well. When he died, she was devastated. I knew he'd want me to take her under my wing, so I did. I've never regretted looking after Kallen." Ohgi paused, narrowing his eyes as if searching for some kind of reaction from Zero.

The masked knight wanted to laugh. There was no way to see his facial expression through the mask, so the effort was futile. If it was that easy, Lelouch would have been discovered as Zero on day one. Then, he processed the other's words, ignoring the sinking feeling in his stomach. _Kallen?_ Zero flinched; he hadn't been expecting that. Granted, he hadn't known Kallen as well as he'd have liked. As far as the war was concerned, they'd always been on opposite sides. He knew she was fighting so her brother's death had meaning, but beyond that, he had no idea the circumstances. Kallen was always so spirited; she was probably the last person on the planet who needed looking after. It was hard to link her position to Nunnally's.

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Ohgi sent a small smile in the new Zero's direction, sensing his confusion. When he spoke again, his voice was light and gentle, a hint of understanding belying his words. "He—Lelouch, I mean—must have trusted you a lot to leave her in your care." It went without saying to whom 'her' referred. It was still hard to say the demon emperor's name, but Ohgi had always been one of the few Black Knights who could see through Zero's—Lelouch's—deceptions. For instance, he'd caught on when Zero had destroyed the remnants of the Japanese Liberation Front, despite Zero's cover story that they'd all committed suicide. It helped to know the way one's leader's mind fathomed. That, along with Kallen's obvious devotion to Lelouch, tipped him off that current matters weren't exactly as they seemed. Granted, he didn't know the whole story. Or even a quarter of it. He just knew he didn't know enough to jump to conclusions. According to everyone who'd known Lelouch, including his little sister, the demon emperor had been the most devoted brother in the history of mankind. His recent actions leading up to his death did not fall into place with the kind of man he was rumored to be.

Lelouch, like Naoto, would have first secured the safety of his beloved little sister. It went without saying that he'd only entrust her to someone capable and reliable, someone with whom he'd shared a longstanding friendship. After everything that had happened, Ohgi couldn't say he _knew_ Lelouch—but he knew Naoto. And he knew enough to draw the parallel and piece together the basics.

At the very end, Kururugi Suzaku had sworn loyalty to his former best friend. Lelouch, despite all the betrayals, had joined forces with Suzaku. It was obvious he trusted Suzaku without measure. While the rest of the world was spitting on his grave, Lelouch's chosen successor obediently carried on his dream of peace.

Ohgi understood, to a degree; he wished Suzaku all the luck in the world.

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A/N: Because Lelouch is to Suzaku what Naoto is to Ohgi.


End file.
